Could Maple Syrup Fight Infection? New Study Investigates

New research published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology suggests that maple syrup makes disease-causing bacteria more susceptible to antibiotics.

Researchers at McGill University discovered that when you combine maple syrup extract with common antibiotics, you can actually increase microbe susceptibility that leads to lower antibiotic usage. This could help as the overuse of antibiotic fuels the emergence of drug-resistance bacteria that is becoming more of a major public health issue as time goes on.

The study authors concentrated on extracting maple syrup that consists mainly of phenolic compounds from the sample of North American maple trees that are rich in phenolic compounds, all of which were purchased at local markets in Montreal and then frozen until the beginning of each experiment. (This involved a series of steps that helped produce the phenolic-rich extract.)

Researchers tested the extract's effects in the laboratory on infection-causing strains of certain bacteria, including E. coli and Proteus mirabilis, which is also known as the common cause of urinary tract infection.

Yet by itself, the extract was only mildly effective in combating bacteria. It was only with the maple syrup extract that it was strong when applied in combination with antibiotics.

"We would have to do in vivo tests, and eventually clinical trials, before we can say what the effect would be in humans," Tufenkji said. "But the findings suggest a potentially simple and effective approach for reducing antibiotic usage. I could see maple syrup extract being incorporated eventually, for example, into the capsules of antibiotics."

Furthermore, researchers discovered that the extract affects gene expression of bacteria by repressing a number of genes that are linked through antibiotic resistance and virulence.